Prisoner on death row advises youth to stop drinking, smoking ‘wee’

play videoThe 72-year-old man is one of the condemned prisoners at the Nsawam Security Prison

A 72-year-old prisoner awaiting execution at the Nsawam Security Prison has cautioned the youth to stay away from alcohol and drugs.

The condemned prisoner lamented how the abuse of alcohol has destroyed him and denied him the peace he could have enjoyed with his family as a pensioner.

The remorseful man was convicted for murdering his wife and has been sentenced to death.

He admitted to Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng that he shot and killed his late wife over infidelity.

“I was with my wife and domestic problems started and I was very much a drunkard so I couldn’t stand the peace. I had a gun and shot her!” he reveals.

The aged man, who is highly optimistic of attaining his freedom anytime soon, further explains that he became aware of his late wife’s involvement in extra-marital affairs through investigations and information from friends.

He explains, “… A friend told me my wife dropped on the road when they were going to Accra. So investigations showed that she had a boyfriend.”

According to the man whose name was not stated in the 30 minutes video, she denied having a boyfriend when he questioned her. That, he said, created an enmity between them and he stopped eating meals she prepared for him.

“One day she went to the farm for foodstuff. She met me in the farm [after] I’ve loaded some goods which I’d wanted to come home with. She said no, she’s not going to agree for me to take the load. On struggling my gun fell. I was highly provoked and I shot her,” he confessed.

Having spent almost ten years at the condemned cells, he said he regrets his actions and does not wish for others to find themselves in his situation saying “Being in a place like this is not acceptable by the human being and moreover I’m a pensioner”.

He urges his children to continue praying for his release and advises the youth, “I warn you don’t go into drinking, smoking that your Indian hemp, and the useless things you’ve been doing over there.”